may your mind explode a blossom tree

Kira Skov
--MAY YOUR MIND
EXPLODE A
BLOSSOM TREE
Stunt Records
Stunt Records CD & LP
STUCD 15142 - STULP 15141
Danish vocalist, musician and composer Kira Skov’s new
album was recorded in Wales and Copenhagen with her
regular band and producer, guitarist and drummer John
Parish. Following her extremely successful album When
We Were Gentle, her new release continues her quest to
discover new directions on her remarkable and extensive
musical voyage.
Kira exploded on the Danish music scene in 2002 with Kira
and The Kindred Spirits. She has since established her reputation as an artist of diverse facets. Lately she has reaped
acclaim for her successful Billie Holiday tribute, Memories
Gone By, and Persona, her collaboration with Danish punk
legend Peter Peter. Most recently critics raved about The
Cabin Project, a collaboration with Marie Fisker. When
We Were Gentle earned her a handful of important Danish
awards: two Steppeulve (Vocalist and Album) and a Carl
Award (awarded by the Danish Music Publishers Society)
for her lyrics. She also received the Danish Art Council’s
prestigious tri-annual grant.
Kira: “It’s all about taking chances and risking losing it all each
time. Risking my audience and the box I have been placed in.
For me to function I have to remain true to myself, it has to
feel relevant. To retain the necessary excitement in the work
process I need an element of unpredictability.”
Over time her collaboration with British producer John
Parish has developed into a close sparring relationship.
They spent nine months exchanging musical ideas in preparation for the album. In order to concentrate optimally on
each tune, they chose to divide the recording process in two
phases, one week in spring at the Rockfield Studio in Wales
and a couple of weeks during late summer at STC Studio in
Copenhagen.
Kira: “I contacted John through MySpace back in 2008, because I found his work with PJ Harvey particularly fascinating.
Since then we have worked closely together, and our common
musical taste brings the best out of me and my songs.”
May Your Mind Explode A Blossom Tree contains songs
revolving around themes such as war, love and loss. The
lyrics seem to draw us into many layers of consciousness,
and Kira’s enthusiasm for great poets like Walt Whitman,
Charles Bukowski and Dylan Thomas is evident. The music
is performed by Kira’s powerful band: her husband, bassist
Nicolai Munch-Hansen, and the two musical wizards Oliver
Hoiness on guitar and Simon Toldam on keyboards – both
of whom reveal an almost limitless arsenal of musical ideas
– and on drums producer John Parish.
Kira Skov (voc, ac. g), Nicolai Munch-Hansen (bass, cello, p, g, voc), Oliver Hoiness (g, keys),
Simon Toldam (p, keys), John Parish (d, voc).
Now I know / I celebrate my life / A smile to remember / I would give it away / Coincidence is all that counts / May your mind explode a blossom tree / Down in the Valley / Alone with everybody / The Sun a lonely host / Never young
STUCD 15142 Kira Skov, May Your Mind Explode a Blossom Tree, Stunt Records, Sundance Music ApS
STUNT RECORDS
Sundance Music ApS Gothersgade 107 1123 Copenhagen K Denmark
T: +45 3333 8720 www.sundance.dk sundance@sundance.dk
Kira Skov
MAY YOUR MIND EXPLODE A BLOSSOM TREE
Stunt Records
Kira Skov Biography:
Kira left her home in Copenhagen at the age of 17 to pursue her dream of playing in a rock’n’roll band. For 8 years she journeyed
through many foreign lands, which she travelled like a modern day gypsy. Her path led her through many parts of the world, but for
many years her base was in the cities of London and L.A.
Drawing from her experiences of her diverse and sometimes complicated relationships, her life on the road, her continuous musical
curiosity and her many collaborations, most importantly with her husband Nicolai Munch-Hansen, she has created a musical world
of deeply personal songs, which today has developed in to a style that is very much her own . With a rough edge and moody tales, tying
together her many musical influences, you’ll find cinematic soundscapes, fused with more songwriter based melodic material, both
acoustic and electric, shadows of triphoppy David Lynch inspired moods and highway cruisers, striped down folk inspired hymns and
shadows of her love for Billie Holiday to be evident in her song-writing today.
Kira released her debut album “Happiness saves lives” in 2002, to great critical acclaim, and the press announced her as the greatest
natural talent seen in Danish Rock scene for many years. 12 years on, she has released 11 studio albums, 3 of them being with her
first band Kira and the kindred spirits, which awarded her a Danish Grammy and the Gaffa Prize as vocalist of the Year in 2006. The
very same year she released her side-project The Gospel, co-written and produced by Tore Johansson (Franz Ferdinand, Cardigans
est.), by which she was discovered by the trip hop legend Tricky in 2007 and signed by his and Chris Blackwells short lived joint label
BROWNPUNK. She also joined Trickys band as lead vocalist on his world tour in 2008. Following this, she released two solo albums
with her backing band The Ghost Riders, the later being recorded on Iceland and produced by John Parish. She was awarded the
Danish film academies annual award “ROBERT” for song of the year in 2009. She then released her tribute album to Billie Holiday
in 2011, followed by her collaboration with The former SODS guitar-player Peter Peter and their joint project PERSONA releasing
the album EPIPHANIES OF GRANDEUR in 2012. In 2013 she released the critically acclaimed “When we were gentle” The album
was again produced John Parish and hailed by the Danish press to be the highlight of her career so far, earning her two Steppeulve,
the Danish Critic associations annual prize as ALBUM OF THE YEAR as well as VOCALIST OF THE YEAR and The Carl Nielsen
prize as lyricist of the year. In 2014 she released her duo project with the singer Marie Fisker, The Cabin Project, recorded in the
woods of Canada and produced by Mark Howard ( Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Tom Wait etc. ) The album was got an
ovewhelming reception by the press in both Denmark and Germany. Kiras most recent endeavour, is her upcoming release “May your
mind explode a blossom tree”. She is back collaborating with John Parish and Paul Corkett. The album was recorded partly in the
legendary Rockfield studio in Wales. The album will be released in Denmark on the 16th of October. Trentemoller is releasing a remix
of her first single “ I celebrate my life” shortly after the release.
KIRA DISCOGRAPHY :
2002 "Happiness Saves Lives" - KIRA & THE KINDRED SPIRITS
2005 "This Is Not An Exit" - KIRA & THE KINDRED SPIRITS
2006 "Kira & The Kindred Spirits" - KIRA & THE KINDRED SPIRITS
2006 "Faith" - THE GOSPEL
2008 "The Rail train, The Meadow, The Freeway and The Shadows - KIRA AND THE GHOSTRIDERS
2010 "Look Up Ahead" - KIRA AND THE GHOSTRIDERS
2011 "Memories Of Days Gone By" - KIRA
2012 "Ephiphanies Of Grandeur" - PERSONA
2013 "When We Were Gentle" - KIRA
2014 "The Cabin Project" - THE CABIN PROJECT
2015 "May Your Mind Explode A Blossom Tree" – KIRA
STUNT RECORDS
Sundance Music ApS Gothersgade 107 1123 Copenhagen K Denmark
T: +45 3333 8720 www.sundance.dk sundance@sundance.dk